In: W Schänzer, H Geyer, A Gotzmann, U Mareck (eds.) Recent Advances In Doping Analysis (17). Sport und Buch Strauß - Köln 2009 M.K. Parr1), N. Haenelt1), G. Fußhöller1), U. Flenker1), H. Geyer1), G. Rodchenkov2), G. Opfermann1), W. Schänzer1) Recent steroid findings in “Designer Supplements” 1)Institute of Biochemistry, German Sport University, Cologne, Germany 2)Antidoping Centre Moscow, Moscow, Russia Abstract Several supplements have been purchased from two different internet-based suppliers and were analysed for their steroid content. Besides the findings of DHEA (and DHEA esters) products were found to contain 6-bromoandrostenedione, androstanoisoxazoles, and estra-4,9- diene-3,17-dione. Additionally Δ6-methyltestosterone was detected in the product “Jungle Warfare” from ALR Industries, androst-4-ene-3,11,17-trione in the product “11Oxo” from Ergopharm, and finally the product “Oxyguno” distributed by Spectra Force Research was found to contain 4-chloro- 11-oxomethyltestosterone. These three compounds have been reported in the 1960s to show weak androgenic (about ½ of testosterone) and from weak to strong anabolic properties. The urinary metabolism was studied following the administration of one capsule to one test person each. The administration of Δ6-methyltestosterone was detectable for more than one week by monitoring the metabolites 17α-hydroxy-17β-methylandrosta-4,6-dien-3-one, 17α-methyl-5β- androstane-3α,17β-diol, and 17β-methyl-5β-androstane-3α,17α-diol. Oral administration of androst-4-ene-3,11,17-trione resulted in several reduced metabolites with 11β- hydroxyandrosterone as main product. Isotope ratio mass spectrometry confirmed the exogenous origin of 11β-hydroxyandrosterone and 11β-hydroxyetiocholanolone as well as their 11-oxo precursors for up to 24 hours. 4-Chloro-11β-hydroxymethyltestosterone (4-chloro-11β,17β-dihydroxy-17α-methylandrost-4- en-3-one) was identified as main urinary metabolite following the ingestion of 4-chloro-11- oxomethyltestosterone. 71 In: W Schänzer, H Geyer, A Gotzmann, U Mareck (eds.) Recent Advances In Doping Analysis (17). Sport und Buch Strauß - Köln 2009 Introduction Since a few years more and more products appear on the market for dietary supplements containing steroids that had never been marketed as approved drugs, mostly without proper labelling of the contents [1-12]. Syntheses and few data on pharmacological effects are available dated back mainly to the 1950s or 1960s. Only little knowledge exists about effects and side effects of these steroids in humans. Also only little information is available on their metabolism. They are only produced for the “supplement market” and are advertised as anabolic steroids and/or aromatase inhibitors. The legal status of these supplements is not clear in several countries. Most likely they are designed and marketed to evade existing laws (legal and sports), by modifying the molecular structures to produce effects similar to controlled drugs. According to the doping regulations of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), anabolic androgenic steroids as well as aromatase inhibitors are prohibited for use in sports. Most of the steroids found in “designer supplements” are not explicitly mentioned in the list of prohibited substances, but are covered by the wording “and other substances with a similar chemical structure or similar biological effect(s)”. To include the new substances into routine steroid screening the steroids available have to be identified and the urinary metabolism has to be investigated. For the accessibility of reference material possibilities for the synthesis of the parent compounds as well as their metabolites have been studied. Materials and Methods Supplements, chemicals and reagents Reference material of 11β-hydroxyandrostenedione (11β-hydroxyandrost-4-ene-3,17-dione, 11β-OHAdione), 11β-hydroxytestosterone (11β,17β-dihydroxyandrost-4-en-3-one, 11β- OHT), 11-oxotestosterone (17β-hydroxyandrost-4-ene-3,11-dione, 11-oxoT), 11β-hydroxy- etiocholanolone (3α,11β-dihydroxy-5β-androstan-17-one, 11β-OHEt), 11-oxoetiocholanol- one (3α-hydroxy-5β-androstane-11,17-dione, 11-oxoEt), and 3α,17β-dihydroxy-5β- androstan-11-one (11-oxoβαβ) were obtained from Steraloids (Newport, USA). Estra-4,9-diene-3,17-dione was obtained from Thinker Chemical (Hangzou, China), 17α- methyl-5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol (3α,5α-THMT), 17α-methyl-5β-androstane-3α,17β-diol (3α,5β-THMT), 17β-methyl-5α-androstane-3α,17α-diol (3α,5α-EpiTHMT) and 17β-methyl- 72 In: W Schänzer, H Geyer, A Gotzmann, U Mareck (eds.) Recent Advances In Doping Analysis (17). Sport und Buch Strauß - Köln 2009 5β-androstane-3α,17α-diol (3α,5β-EpiTHMT) were synthesised in our laboratory as described by Schänzer et al. [13,14]. 17β-Hydroxy-17α-methylandrost-4-en-3-one (methyltestosterone), 11α,17β-dihydroxy-17α- methylandrost-4-en-3-one (11α-hydroxymethyltestosterone), 3β-hydroxyandrost-5-en-17-one (DHEA), androst-4-ene-3,11,17-trione, 11β-hydroxyandrosterone (3α,11β-dihydroxy-5α- androstan-17-one, 11β-OHA), 11-oxoandrosterone (3α-hydroxy-5α-androstane-11,17-dione, 11-oxoA), androsterone (3α-hydroxy-5α-androstan-17-one, A), etiocholanolone (3α- hydroxy-5β-androstan-17-one, Et), 5α-androstan-3β-ol, tetrachloro-1,4-benzoquinone (Chloranil, TCQ), hydrogen peroxide solution (H2O2, 30% in H2O), chromium(VI) oxide (CrO3), manganese(IV) oxide (MnO2), sodium borohydride (NaBH4) and LS-Selectride (lithium tris-i-amylborohydride, 1M in tetrahydrofuran) were obtained from Sigma-Aldrich GmbH (Steinheim, Germany). β-Glucuronidase from E.coli was obtained from Roche Diagnostics (Mannheim, Germany), N-methyl-N-trimethylsilyl-trifluoroacetamide (MSTFA) from Chem. Fabrik Karl Bucher (Waldstetten, Germany). All other reagents and solvents were of analytical grade and obtained from Merck (Darmstadt, Germany). The following products were purchased from web-based stores for sport supplements: Product name Company Labelled steroid ingredients Anavar Hi-Tech Pharmaceutical DHEA, DHEA-Esters Mayhem BCS Labs 17a-Methyl-1, 4-Androstadiene-3, 17 Diol Propadrol EST Nutrition LLC 12-Ethyl-3-Methoxy-gona-dien 17 6- 17dihydroxy-etiocholone-3-ol Halo T-400 Anabolics Formulation 4-chloro-17a-methyl-androst-1,4-diene- 3-17b-diol Estra-4, 9-diene-3, 17-dione Trenadrol Kilo Sports 17b-methoxy-trienbolone Super Tren-MG Black China Labs Estra-4, 9-diene-3, 17-dione Regenesen Neogenix Furaguno Spectra Force Research Oxodrol IDS 2alpha,3alpha-epithio-17alpha- methyletioallocholanol 11-Oxo Ergopharm Performance 11-OXO™(Adrenosterone) Nutrition Oxyguno Spectra Force Research 4-Chloro-17a-Methyl-Etioallochol-4- Ene-17b-Ol-3, 11-Dione Jungle Warfare ALR 17a-Methyl-5a- Dehydro-Etiocholan-4,6- Dien-3-One- 17-Ol 73 In: W Schänzer, H Geyer, A Gotzmann, U Mareck (eds.) Recent Advances In Doping Analysis (17). Sport und Buch Strauß - Köln 2009 Supplement analysis The homogenised content of one capsule was suspended in 5 mL of methanol. After shaking for 5 min and centrifugation for 5 min at 800 g, the methanolic layer was separated. Aliquots were analysed by GC-MS (underivatised and as TMS derivatives). Synthesis of reference material 4-Chloro-17β-hydroxy-17α-methylandrost-4-ene-3,11-dione (1) 11α-Hydroxymethyltestosterone was epoxidised with H2O2/NaOHaq followed by epoxide opening in aqueous hydrochloric acid. The resulting 4-chloro-11α,17β-dihydroxy-17α- methylandrost-4-en-3-one was oxidised by cautious addition of a solution of CrO3 in acetic acid. After addition of 6 ml of 7 N KOH the products were extracted three times with 5 ml of t-butyl methyl ether (TBME), each. Crystallisation from n-hexane/TBME (5:9, v:v) yielded 4- chloro-17β-hydroxy-17α-methylandrost-4-ene-3,11-dione (1). Reduction of 4-chloro-17β-hydroxy-17α-methylandrost-4-ene-3,11-dione The reduction of 4-chloro-17β-hydroxy-17α-methylandrost-4-ene-3,11-dione (1) with LS- Selectride in THF (1.5 fold molar excess) yielded the two isomeric 4-chloro-3ξ,17β- dihydroxy-17α-methylandrost-4-en-11-ones (3a and 3b). Using an excess of NaBH4 two isomeric 4-chloro-17α-methylandrost-4-en-3ξ,11β-17β-triols (4) were obtained. By oxidation of the 3-hydroxy group utilising MnO2 4-chloro-11β,17β-dihydroxy-17α-methylandrost-4-en- 3-one (5) was obtained. Dehydrogenation of (epi-)methyltestosterone Methyltestosterone or epimethyltestosterone were dehydrogenated with an excess of chloranil in refluxing t-butanol within 4 h following the principle described by Fiesers and Fieser (Fieser and Fieser, 1967). The products (17β-hydroxy-17α-methylandrosta-4,6-dien-3-one (11) and 17α-hydroxy-17β-methylandrosta-4,6-dien-3-one (12), respectively) were extracted with TBME from an aqueous KOH solution and the extract was washed with water. Following evaporation under reduced pressure crystallization from n-hexane/ dichloromethane yielded crystals of the corresponding 6-ene-products. 74 In: W Schänzer, H Geyer, A Gotzmann, U Mareck (eds.) Recent Advances In Doping Analysis (17). Sport und Buch Strauß - Köln 2009 Administration study The following p.o. administration studies were performed in one healthy male volunteer, each: three capsules of 11-Oxo (urine collection 24 h pre- and 50 h post-administration), one capsule of Oxyguno (urine collection 27 h post-administration) and one capsule of Jungle Warfare (urine collection for 24 hours, afterwards morning urines for 11 days). Ethical approval was obtained from the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Ministry of Sports, Tourism and Youth Policy of the Russian Federation. Sample pre-treatment The samples were prepared according to the routine steroid screening procedure[15]. In brief, after addition of the internal standard methyltestosterone 2-5 mL of urine were incubated at pH 7 with β-glucuronidase from E.coli at 50°C for 1 h. The steroids were extracted with 5 mL of TBME at pH 9.6, the organic layer was evaporated to dryness. For GC-MS analyses the residues were derivatised with TMIS reagent (MSTFA/ NH4I/ ethanethiol, 1000:2:3, v:w:v) by heating for 20 min at 60°C and injected into the GC-MS.